Patentable/Patents/US-11303832
US-11303832

Solid-state imaging device and electronic apparatus

PublishedApril 12, 2022
Assigneenot available in USPTO data we have
Inventorsnot available in USPTO data we have
Technical Abstract

To suppress deterioration of image quality. A solid-state imaging device (1) according to an embodiment includes a plurality of unit pixels (100) each of which includes a photoelectric conversion element (PD) configured to generate an electric charge corresponding to an incident light quantity, a transfer transistor (102) configured to transfer the electric charge generated in the photoelectric conversion element, a charge accumulation unit (FD) configured to accumulate the electric charge transferred by the transfer transistor, an amplification transistor (1051, 1052) including at least two fingers that are connected to the charge accumulation unit in parallel, and a selection transistor (106) that is disposed corresponding to each of the fingers of the amplification transistor on a one-to-one basis.

Patent Claims
16 claims

Legal claims defining the scope of protection, as filed with the USPTO.

1

1. A solid-state imaging device comprising a plurality of unit pixels, each of the unit pixels comprising: a photoelectric conversion element configured to generate an electric charge corresponding to an incident light quantity; a transfer transistor configured to transfer the electric charge generated in the photoelectric conversion element; a charge accumulation unit configured to accumulate the electric charge transferred by the transfer transistor; an amplification transistor including at least two fingers that are connected to the charge accumulation unit in parallel; and a selection transistor that is disposed corresponding to each of the fingers of the amplification transistor on a one-to-one basis.

2

2. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein the amplification transistor includes a first amplification transistor corresponding to one of the at least two fingers, and a second amplification transistor corresponding to another of the fingers, and the selection transistor includes a first selection transistor that is connected to the first amplification transistor in series, and a second selection transistor that is connected to the second amplification transistor in series.

3

3. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , further comprising: a first signal line, a second signal line, a third signal line, and a fourth signal line, wherein the unit pixels include a first unit pixel and a second unit pixel, in the first unit pixel, a gate of the first amplification transistor and a gate of the second amplification transistor are connected to the charge accumulation unit, a source of the first amplification transistor and a source of the second amplification transistor are connected to the third signal line, a drain of the first amplification transistor is connected to the first signal line via the first selection transistor, and a drain of the second amplification transistor is connected to the first signal line via the second selection transistor, and in the second unit pixel, a gate of the first amplification transistor and a gate of the second amplification transistor are connected to the charge accumulation unit, a source of the first amplification transistor and a source of the second amplification transistor are connected to the fourth signal line, a drain of the first amplification transistor is connected to the second signal line via the first selection transistor, and a drain of the second amplification transistor is connected to the second signal line via the second selection transistor.

4

4. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3 , further comprising: a current mirror circuit connected to the first signal line and the second signal line; and a constant current circuit connected to the third signal line and the fourth signal line.

5

5. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3 , further comprising: a constant current circuit; a first switch configured to switch connection between the first signal line or the second signal line and the constant current circuit; and a second switch configured to switch connection between the third signal line or the fourth signal line and a predetermined power supply voltage.

6

6. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 5 , further comprising: a current mirror circuit including a first transistor connected to the first signal line and a second transistor connected to the second signal line; a third switch configured to switch connection between the third signal line and the constant current circuit; a fourth switch configured to switch connection between the fourth signal line and the constant current circuit; a fifth switch configured to switch connection between the gate of each of the first amplification transistor and the second amplification transistor and the first signal line in the first unit pixel; a sixth switch configured to switch connection between the gate of each of the first amplification transistor and the second amplification transistor and the second signal line in the second unit pixel; a seventh switch configured to switch connection between a gate of each of the first transistor and the second transistor and a drain of the first transistor; and an eighth switch configured to switch connection between the gate of each of the first transistor and the second transistor and a drain of the second transistor.

7

7. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 6 , further comprising: a control unit configured to switch connection states of the first switch to the eighth switch, wherein in a case of performing source follower read-out on the unit pixels, the control unit causes the first switch and the second switch to be in an ON state and causes the third switch to the eighth switch to be in an OFF state to configure a source follower circuit.

8

8. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 7 , wherein in a case of performing differential amplification read-out to read out a pixel signal from the first unit pixel, the control unit causes the first switch, the second switch, and the eighth switch to be in the OFF state, and causes the third switch to the seventh switch to be in the ON state to configure a first differential amplifier circuit, and in a case of performing differential amplification read-out to read out a pixel signal from the second unit pixel, the control unit causes the first switch, the second switch, and the seventh switch to be in the OFF state, and causes the third switch to the sixth switch and the eighth switch to be in the ON state to configure a second differential amplifier circuit.

9

9. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein the first amplification transistor and the second amplification transistor have a same structure.

10

10. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein a gate insulating film of the second amplification transistor is thinner than a gate insulating film of the first amplification transistor.

11

11. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein a gate length of the second amplification transistor is longer than a gate length of the first amplification transistor.

12

12. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 2 , further comprising: a drive circuit configured to drive a unit pixel to be read out among the unit pixels, wherein in a case of reading out a pixel signal from the unit pixel to be read out with first conversion efficiency, the drive circuit gives a first selection control signal of High level to a gate of the first selection transistor while maintaining a second selection control signal to be given to a gate of the second selection transistor at Low level, and in a case of reading out a pixel signal from the unit pixel to be read out with second conversion efficiency lower than the first conversion efficiency, the drive circuit gives the first selection control signal of High level to the gate of the first selection transistor, and gives the second selection control signal of High level to the gate of the second selection transistor.

13

13. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 10 , further comprising: a drive circuit configured to drive a unit pixel to be read out among the unit pixels, wherein in a case of reading out a pixel signal from the unit pixel to be read out with first conversion efficiency, the drive circuit gives a first selection control signal of High level to a gate of the first selection transistor while maintaining a second selection control signal to be given to a gate of the second selection transistor at Low level, and in a case of reading out a pixel signal from the unit pixel to be read out with second conversion efficiency lower than the first conversion efficiency, the drive circuit maintains the first selection control signal to be given to the gate of the first selection transistor at Low level, and gives the second selection control signal of High level to the gate of the second selection transistor.

14

14. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 3 , wherein the first amplification transistor and the first selection transistor, and the second amplification transistor and the second selection transistor are laid out in a line symmetric manner about the third signal line or the fourth signal line as a center axis in each of the first unit pixel and the second unit pixel.

15

15. The solid-state imaging device according to claim 1 , wherein each of the unit pixels further includes a reset transistor configured to cause an electric charge in the charge accumulation unit to be discharged.

16

16. An electronic apparatus, comprising: a pixel array unit in which a plurality of unit pixels are arranged in a matrix direction; a drive circuit configured to drive a unit pixel to be read out among the unit pixels; a read-out circuit configured to read out an analog pixel signal from the unit pixel to be read out that is driven by the drive circuit; a signal processing circuit configured to convert the analog pixel signal read out by the read-out circuit into a digital value; and a control unit configured to control the drive circuit, the read-out circuit, and the signal processing circuit, wherein each of the unit pixels comprises: a photoelectric conversion element configured to generate an electric charge corresponding to an incident light quantity; a transfer transistor configured to transfer the electric charge generated in the photoelectric conversion element; a charge accumulation unit configured to accumulate the electric charge transferred by the transfer transistor; an amplification transistor including at least two fingers that are connected to the charge accumulation unit in parallel; and a selection transistor that is disposed corresponding to each of the fingers of the amplification transistor on a one-to-one basis.

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Patent Metadata

Filing Date

September 11, 2019

Publication Date

April 12, 2022

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Cite as: Patentable. “Solid-state imaging device and electronic apparatus” (US-11303832). https://patentable.app/patents/US-11303832

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